Electric sign



R. WILDE ELEcTRic SIGN Dec. 17, 1935.

Patented Dec.' 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE ELECTRIC SIGN Rudolf Wilde, Villa Park, Ill.

Application November 22, 1934, Serial No. '754,199

2 Claims.

'Ifhis invention relates to improvements in electric signs.

One object of the invention is to provide a sign preferably of the neon type, comprising changeable sections provided with suitable contacts for establishing the circuit through the sign as the sections are assembled in the desired relation.

Neon signs are known which are formed in sections, each carrying a letter, but in forming a complete sign of the selected letters-it is necessary to connect the terminals of the letters by means of conductors as the sections are placed in position.

Other types of neon signs are used each letter section of which is provided with an individual transformer. This construction, of course, is

' expensive where the signs frequently are to be altered, as a theater sign, for example, since it is necessary to have the complete alphabet of letters and of course several sections bearing the more frequently occurring letters.

By the present improvements, individual transformers for each letter are not required. nor is it necessary to connect manually the terminals of each letter when a. sign is altered. On the contrary, it is merely necessary to place the sections in position in the frame and improved contacts carried by the sections automatically establish the circuit through the entire sign. The alteration of a sign of the improved type is therefore a relatively simple matter.

A further object of the invention relates to improvements in the construction of contact members which establish the circuit through successive sections.

Other objects of the invention relate to various features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sign embodying the present improvements.

Figure 2 is an enlarged broken rear elevation of certain of the letter sections of the sign.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section taken on line 4 4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of one of the contact posts.

Figure 6 is a detail of a contact member.

In the drawing, I il is a frame which supports the individual sections or panels which carry the letters forming the sign. The frame I0 may be made of sheet metal and has the edge II of the upper horizontal member folded back upon itself and then downwardly to form a longitudinal channel I2. The upper edge I3 of the lower horizontal member of the frame is bent inwardly and then upwardly to form a iiange I4. 4

The panels or sections indicated by the numeral 5 I5 may be formed of sheet metal having inwardly directed stiffenng flanges I6 on their vertical edges which terminate short of the upper and lower ends. In inserting a section in the frame the upper edge of the section is rst inserted in the 10 channel I2 and the inner end swung into engagement with the flange I4, the lower edge of the section having a complementary channel formed therein for receiving the flange I4, as shown in Figure 3. 15

To remove a section it is rst raised slightly to clear the flange I4, and then lowered until the upper end clears the edge II of the upper frame member and then pulled outwardly.

The frame I0 shown in Figure 1 is shown pro- 20 vided with six sections I5. The end sections carry no letters. The sections which carry the letters have openings I'I formed therein for receiving terminals of the neon tubes of which the letters are formed. These terminals may be of any suit- 25 able construction. The letters are shown as being supported by conventional clips I8 in spaced relation with reference to the forward face of the sections I5.

The ends of the glass tubes of which the letters 30 are formed are provided with any 'suitable terminals |811, which are passedthrough the openings I'I'into contact with spring resisted terminals I9 carried by the insulating housings 20. The housings shown in the gures are of conven- 35 tional construction and form no part per se of the present improvements.

Each of the sections I5 is provided with a pair of insulating posts 2| each disposed adjacent a margin of the sections. The posts 2| are secured 40 to the sections I5 by means of bolts 22 o'r the like. The posts 2I are provided with rectangular openings 23 therein for receiving resilient contact members 24 which in the form shown are provided with spring-like convolutions 25. The 4,5 inner end of each contact member preferably is provided with an opening for receiving a bolt 26 of the respective sections l whereby when the sections are in position in the frame I0, the posts will be in alignment. The posts are also positioned adjacent the vertical edges of the sections whereby the contact members 24 project slightly laterally of said vertical edges.

Thus in Figures 1 and 2 it will be seen that the resilient contacts 24 will be in abutting relation when the sections are assembled in the frame, whereby the current will flow in series through the individual letters of the sign.

By the construction described individual sections can readily be removed from the frame for rearrangement in spelling another word or words. Where the particular word of a sign contains fewer letters than are required for lling the frame blank sections may be employed. The blank sections are constructed the same as the previously described sections, but have no letters and are provided with a conductor 3| which extends from one of the contact posts 2| directly across to the other.

It is preferred tol provide the rear portion of the frame with contact posts 32 which are similar to contact posts 2l and are so disposed as to make electrical connections with the adjacent contacts carried by the end panels whether they be blank sections, as shown in Figure 1, or character sections. The contacts 32 are connected by conductors 33, 34 with the secondary of the transformer 35 which supplies current to the sign.

If desired,` the posts 32 may be omitted and the ends of the conductors 33 and 34 connectedl to the appropriate contact members o'f the respective sections, such as for example, the left hand contact of the section carrying the letter S of Figure 1, and the right hand contact of the section carrying the letter N However, the use of the posts 32 is preferred wherever feasible since the alteration of a sign is facilitated in that there are then no separate conductors to be connected by the workmen.

As shown in Figure 6, each of the contact members 24 preferably is provided with a relatively at outer face, the edges of which are rounded. The spring convolutons 25 may be formed integral with the member 24 and preferably are formed of a flat strip of resilient conducting material. The general shape of the entire contact is rectangular in cross section, and being positioned in a rectangular opening 23 cannot turn when the nut 23 is turned on or oi, as will be seen.

In assembling the individual sections of the sign shown in Figure 1, one of the' end sections can Irst be inserted and the remaining sections successively placed in position. The rounded co'rners of the slightly projecting contacts 24 enable one of each abutting pair to slide over the other in placing a section in position and force each to recede slightly into the respective openings 23 and exert pressure one against the other to fo'rm a suitable electrical connection.

It will be understood that signs having a greater number of letters can be constructed in accordance with the principle of the present irnprovements and that the removal of the sections in rearranging the same to form a different word or words will require but a few minutes, and without the necessity of the workmen rst detaching conductors extending from one terminal of a letter to another, and then re-establishing the 5 connections as the letters are placed in reassembled position.

Where the combined length of the glass tubes is such that two or more words can be served by the same transformer, the words can be spaced by a blank section such as either of the end sections illustrated in Figure 1.

While I have shown and described an embodiment of my improvements for the purpose of illustration, I do not wish to be restricted specifically thereto except as so limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An electric sign comprising a frame and a plurality of removable character sections adapted to be inserted into nal position in said frame and removed therefrom in a direction at right angles to the face of the frame, illuminatable characters on the forward faces of said sections,

a pair of rearwardly extending insulating contact posts uniformly disposed on the rear surface of each of said sections adjacent opposite margins thereof, said posts having recesses therein, and resilient contacts mounted in said recesses and electrically connected to the character on the respective section, said contacts having ends projecting from said posts and beyond said section margins and having rounded edges whereby the same can be moved inwardly of said recesses by pressure exerted on said ends at right angles to the direction of movement thereof by contacts of an adjacent section during insertion of the latter in the frame whereby any section can be inserted in final position in the frame or removed therefrom in a direction at right angles to the face of the frame independently of the adjacent section or sections.

2. An electric sign comprising a frame and a plurality of removable character sections adapted to be inserted into inal position in said frame and removed therefrom in a direction at right angles to the face of the frame, illuminatable characters on the forward faces of said sections, a pair of rearwardly extending insulating contact posts uniformly disposed on the rear surface of each of said sections adjacent opposite margins thereof, and resilient contacts carried by said posts and electrically connected to the character on the respective sections, said contacts each having a smooth portion projecting beyond the respective section margins and so shaped that the same can be moved inwardly by pressure exerted on said portions at right angles to the direction of movement thereof by similar cooperating contacts of adjacent sections during insertion of the latter in the frame whereby any section can be inserted in nal position in the frame or removed therefrom in a direction at right angles to the face o'f the frame independently of the adjacent 65 section or sections.

RUDOLF WILDE. 

